Garment supporter



Nov. 12, 1957 c, J, c 'io 2,812,565

GARMENT SUPPORTER Filed July 7, 1955 f '1 -52 9:13 \I M & l6 #1 $113 5 5 INVENTOR CARL J. CANTELLO BYW ATTORNEYS United States Patent GARMENT SUPPORTER Carl J. Cantello, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application July 7, 1955, Serial No. 520,433

1 Claim. (Cl. 24245) This invention relates to garment supporters, and more specifically, the invention pertains to means for retaining and supporting such garments as stockings and socks, and comprises a continuation-in-part of my copending patent application, Serial No. 487,333, filed February 10, 1955, the copending application being entitled Garment Supporter.

One of the primary objects of this invention is to provide means of the type described which includes a clasp for use with womens undergarments, such as corsets and girdles, the clasp being relatively thin so as not to appear through the outer clothing.

Another object of this invention is to provide a hose, stocking or sock supporting clasp which is reliable in use and which will not damage the fabric to which it is attached.

A further object of this invention is to provide a hose supporting and retaining clasp which is inexpensive to manufacture, non-complex in construction and assembly, and durable in use.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a hose supporting and retaining clasp of the type to which reference has been made above and which may be quickly and easily secured to the hose at the front and rear of the leg.

Other and further objects and advantages of the instant invention will become more evident from a consideration of the following specification when read in conjunction with the annexed drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a rear elevational view of a garment supporter and retainer clasp constructed in accordance with the present invention, the clasp being illustrated as applied to the upper marginal edge of the welt of a stocking.

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail cross-sectional view of the clasp taken on the vertical plane of line 22 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary detail crosssectional view taken on the horizontal plane of line 33 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view.

of the upper end portion of the clasp.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, reference numeral designates, in general, a garment supporting and retaining clasp constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. As illustrated therein, the clasp 10 is seen to comprise a vertically elongated frame of wire having a substantially circular transverse cross-sectional configuration. The frame includes a length of wire centrally bent to form a substantially U-shaped loop at the lower end thereof having a bight 12 and upwardly extending oppositely disposed spaced and diverging side arms 14, 16. The arms 14, 16 are bent laterally away from each other to provide offset elements 18, 20 which continue upwardly in the outwardly diverging members 22, 24. These latter members, while diverging at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the clasp 10 do so at a smaller angle than the angle of inclination of the elements 18, 20 with respect Patented Nov. 12, 1957 ice thereto. The upper ends of the members 22, 24 connect with the lower end of a pair of sinuous sections 26, 28

which include a pair of confronting inwardly extending loops 30, 32. The sinuous sections 26, 28 have the upper ends thereof bent laterally and inwardly toward each other to form a pair of coaxially aligned cross-bars 34,

36 having confronting adjacent free ends disposed in proximity with respect to each other. The cross-bars 34, 36 are normally positioned substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the clasp 16. A sleeve 38 is loosely mounted on and surrounds a major portion of the cross-bars 34, 36 and extends across the space between the free ends thereof.

A conventional garter strap 40 formed of elastic material is looped around the sleeve 38 as at 42. Conventional length adjusting means (not shown) is carried by the strap 40, and the latter is connected at its upper end to a womans corset, girdle, or other similar garments.

An elongated substantially rectangular plate 46 is provided with oppositely disposed centrally positioned laterally extending tabs 48, 50. The plate 46 is positioned between the loops 30, 32 in such a manner as to permit the tabs 48 and 50 to be bent around the adjacent bight portions thereof. The upper end of the plate 46 is constructed with an integrally formed horizontally extending hollow sleeve 52 having a centrally positioned recess 54 to serve a function to be described.

An elongated substantially rectangular tongue 56 formed of resilient material is provided with a reduced neck portion 58 which terminates in a cross-bar 60. As is seen in the drawing, the neck portion 58 of the tongue 56 extends into the recess 54 with the opposed ends of the cross-bar 60 being journalled for pivotal movement on the marginal edge portions of the sleeve 52 proximate the recess 54, so that the tongue 56 depends from the sleeve 52 and is pivotally supported thereon. The lower end of the tongue 56 is encased in a resilient material such as, a sheathing 62 formed of rubber.

The width of the lower end of the tongue 56 together with its sheathing 62 is slightly wider than the dimension between the arms 14 and 16, and the tongue 56 is of such length as to project downwardly slightly below the upper edge of the bight 12. However, due to the resiliency of the wire frame, the tongue 56, and of the sheathing 62, the lower end of the tongue 56 may be manually operated to slide by the arms 14, 16 and the bight 12 to pass to opposite sides of the clasp 10.

The plate 46 and the tabs 48 and 50 prevent the side members of the frame from inadvertent lateral movement toward and away from each other and lend rigidity to the clasp.

In operation, and assuming that the clasp 10 is engaged with the upper marginal edge of the welt 64 of a stocking, as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, the operator, to disconnect the clasp 10 therefrom, merely inserts a finger behind the central portion of the tongue 56 and presses outwardly thereon. This force springs the tongue 56 away from the bight 12 and the arms 14, 16 and elevates it to the dotted line position shown in Figure 2. The stocking may now be withdrawn from the adjacent portions of clasp 10.

To attach the clasp, the bight 12, arms 14, 16, elements 18, 20, and members 22, 24 are slipped downwardly between the upper marginal edge of the welt 64 and the adjacent portions of the wearers leg with the tongue 56 in its raised dotted line position shown in Figure 2. Thereafter the tongue is pivoted toward the bight 12 and arms 14, 16 and is sprung therethrough with but slight finger pressure to assume the full line positions of Figures 1 and 2, clamping the welt 64 securely therebetween.

Having described and illustrated one embodiment of this invention in detail, it will be understood that the same is offered merely by way of example, and that the invention is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A clasp comprising an integral U-shaped frame includ ing a bight and upwardly extending oppositely disposed, spaced and diverging side arms, extensions having outward bends continuing from said side arms, elongated diverging members attached at one end thereof to said extensions, sinuous sections, each section having a loop extending from said diverging members and having inwardly directed aligned cross-arms, the free ends of which are disposed in spaced confronting relation, a sleeve loosely mounted on said cross-arms, a substantially rectangular plate disposed between said sinuous sections, said plate having a lug projecting from each side thereof and encircling an adjacent loop of said sinuous sections, an elongated resilient tongue having a reduced neck portion at one end thereof, said neck portion having a cross bar integrally formed therewith at the uppermost end thereof, said plate having a sleeve integrally formed at the upper end thereof, said sleeve having a recess formed therein adapted to receive said neck with said cross-bar journalled for rotation within said sleeve adjacent the marginal edges of said recess whereby said tongue depends from and is pivotally supported on said sleeve, and the free end of said tongue normally extending from said plate beyond said bight and by its resiliency being adapted for snap sliding movement between said arms and bight to alternate sides of said clasp.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 342,214 Mandle May 18, 1886 1,076,977 Grout Oct. 28, 1913 2,166,474 Mefford July 18, 1939 2,627,639 Eilertsen Feb. 10. I953 FOREIGN PATENTS 667,756 Great Britain 1952 

